Friends?
by livie375
Summary: Harry finds something unexpected when he surprises Hermione at her flat one evening. One-shot.


One drizzly Saturday in the middle of October, Harry Potter, exhausted but upbeat from afternoon Quidditch practice, decided to pay his dear friend Hermione Granger a visit.

With Harry working as professional Quidditch player, and Hermione currently employed as an Unspeakable in the Ministry, there was limited space in their busy schedules that the two could visit. They attempted to talk daily on their Muggle cellphones, but even that was getting scarcer. Harry figured that Hermione must be lonely when her only company was Crookshanks; after all, he hadn't seen her in a fortnight. She had broken up with Ron ten months earlier for reasons unknown to him. She said something about personal problems, but, at the time, he was too busy picking up the pieces of Ron's broken heart instead of tending to Hermione.

That was another reason Harry felt compelled to visit her as often as he does. He had taken Ron's side all those months ago, and for a time after the breakup, had barely even spoken to Hermione. His guilt had led to multiple teary apologies, all graciously accepted. All was good between them these days despite the rocky months of rebuilding their friendship. Their friendship was so close to being completely repaired that he couldn't let something as stupid as busy schedules stop him from seeing Hermione.

A pinch of Floo Powder was all it took until he was standing in the dim light coming from the bay windows in the living room of Hermione's downtown London flat.

…

Unbeknownst to him, Draco Malfoy had arrived at Hermione's flat a few minutes prior, equipped with a bag of Muggle crisps.

"Honey, I'm home!" Draco shouted once he had Apparated into the living room.

Her wards had let him in for about four months now.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him, coming out of the kitchen levitating various bowls of various foods and two soft drinks. She couldn't resist a small smile at his antics, which was immediately met by his own. "Hello to you too."

Hermione carefully set the bowls and drinks onto the coffee table, making space for Draco's bag of crisps. She flopped down on her side of worn blue couch (the other side had been unofficially Draco's for around two months) and picked up the remote. When she noticed that Draco hadn't moved from his spot near the windows, she looked at him expectantly, "Well?"

"Right," He said, quickly moving into the kitchen without needing any sort of directions.

"Come straight from work?"

"Yes. Dreadfully boring day. Did I tell you that I caught Blaise and Pansy going at it in a broom cupboard a few days ago? Honestly," He walked out of the kitchen with a bowl of crisps and his work suit transfigured into a plain, comfortable shirt and trousers, "It was as if it were Hogwarts all over again. A broom cupboard? Really? I thought I would never have to see her ugly face again, but Blaise just had to make me revisit Fifth Year." His face scrunched up in disgust for a moment.

"Draco!" Hermione chided, though she couldn't help but let out a small laugh at his words. "That is not very kind to Pansy."

"I can't believe that you're defending Pansy Parkinson. Are you remembering her correctly?"

"Stranger things have happened, Draco. I mean, look at us. We're having a movie night together. No one would have predicted that either."

He was about to set down the bowl and say something when the Floo lit up in emerald green flames, and out stepped a cheerful-turned -confused Harry Potter.

Turns out that Hermione wasn't as lonely as Harry had thought.

…

"Hermione!" Harry shouted, pulling out his wand and pointing it at Draco. "Malfoy's in your flat!"

Hermione, at first surprised by the arrival of her friend, quickly grew irritated and chastised herself for not turning off the Floo Network. She guessed that she was so distracted by the arrival of Draco that she had forgotten her usual ritual to turn everything off when he came over.

Half of her annoyance stemmed from the fact that Harry had interrupted her one night of fun a week.

She was not impressed with Harry's attack-first-ask-questions-later method. Five months ago, she might have had the same reaction to seeing Draco Malfoy, but things were different now.

She was different now.

"Yes, Harry, I am aware." She stood up and moved closer to stand next to Draco, scowling at Harry. "Put down your wand. You are _not_ a child!"

"Hermione, get away from him! He's dangerous! What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Harry's face was going red from rage, and his wand was still trained on his childhood foe.

"_Dangerous_!" She scoffed. "Honestly, Harry. He's not the one with the wand out!" Hermione was getting irritated rather quickly, and stood in front of Draco. How dare Harry make those assumptions about him when he hasn't even seen Draco for over a year?

"How dare you!? He is _not_ dangerous and certainly not going to hurt me." Hermione took a calming breath when she felt Draco's hand drop onto her shoulder like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Harry, lower your wand and we can talk about this like mature adults –"

"Get your hands off her, you ferret! Hermione, how can you stand there like that? Why is he here? Is he imperi –"

Before he could finish his sentence, Hermione muttered a quick "Expelliarmus!" and his wand was in her hand.

"Harry, stop! Stop!" She couldn't let him get away with saying those things. Especially not about Draco. "This is going to be hard to believe, but I have the situation under control. I don't need your protection!" Another calming breath, "I would appreciate it if you just went home."

"What's going on here?"

Draco, who had been previously silent this whole time much to Hermione's appreciation, spoke up, "None of your business, Potter." He spat.

Hermione shrugged off Draco's hand and stalked over to Harry, her wand in one hand and his in another. She grabbed his arm and side-Apparated him back into his own apartment. He wasn't expecting it, so he stumbled once she let go of his arm.

She was gone the second she let go of him. Harry spent a few moments to collect himself and went over to the fireplace, but she had already closed off the Floo Network. He tried to Apparate to her flat too; she had already put up wards against him.

Harry was shocked. He had not expected _her_ to be hanging out with the likes of _him_.

…

The second Hermione returned to her flat after side-Apparating Harry, she blocked the Floo Network and changed her wards to stop everyone from entering her flat.

Draco stood there in the middle of her living room. She couldn't decipher the expression on his face. She felt terrible. _This_ was why she kept Draco a secret from all her friends! She knew they would react badly. She had expected that if Ron found out he would explode with rage. She had previously guessed that once Harry found out, he would react badly at first, but come to understand. She hadn't expected the pure loathing she saw in his eyes directed at Draco, nor the bewilderment and betrayal directed at her either.

She knew he would come around sometime; she knew it would take time.

At least she had Draco. If no one else was on her side, she knew that Draco would always be.

How could he still be on her side though? How, when Harry had said all those terrible things about him?

She practically ran into his open arms, sniffling and holding back the tears that threatened spilled over. Draco held her close and rested his cheek on the top of her head, whispering sweet words of comfort into her hair.

She kept whispering over and over, "I'm so sorry, Draco…"

Hermione often felt grateful that she had reconnected with Draco after Hogwarts and the War, but never had as much as now. Draco was, simply put, worth the entire backlash from her friends and the Wizarding World. She knew he would take Harry's anger and much more from for her; she would do the same for him, after all. If nothing else, Draco was loyal. She often joked that he would make a good Hufflepuff, even though she knew he was a Slytherin through and through.

"It's okay, it's alright, c'mon 'Mione, c'mon." He let go of her and caught her hand, leading her over to the couch. She sat down beside him, immediately seeking his warmth and pressing herself against his side. He put his arm around her and rested his cheek back on her head. "Now, what do you want to watch? I got to choose last week, so it's, sadly, your turn. Didn't you say something about Froyo and his journey or something?"

She giggled at his blunder, wiping the tear stains from her cheeks. "Frodo." She corrected, still giggling. "It's called Lord of The Rings. There are three movies in all. Think we can watch them all tonight?"

He smiled down at her, "I think we can do anything."

…

Halfway through Return of the King, Hermione was feeling much better and much sleepier than earlier in the night. Snuggling, talking and watching movies with Draco always lifted her spirits. He always knew what to do to make her feel better. It seemed to her that Draco was her best friend these days, even more than Harry. Although she was grateful for Draco and she loved their relationship, it was all so bittersweet. She felt nostalgic for Hogwarts, for what she, Harry and Ron used to have.

Not even Draco could distract her from her persistent overthinking. It tired her out, her eyelids drooping. She could barely decipher what Draco was saying anymore.

Noticing that she was in a faraway land, he pulled on the sleeve of the – much to Draco's happiness and amusement – green pajama shirt she had changed into to get her attention. He was sprawled out on the couch, his head in her lap and her hands resting on his soft platinum blonde hair. "Hermione?"

She opened her eyes to find Draco staring up with her with a soft expression on his face. The light from the television cast strange shadows on his face. She admired him for a moment, "Yes?"

"Why didn't you tell Harry that we're friends?"

Hermione didn't need to see the unguarded vulnerability in his eyes to understand the unspoken questions. _Are you ashamed of me?_

"I don't know why." She broke the intense eye contact with him, instead choosing to stare up at Aragorn's large face on the tele. "He was so mad that you were here. I guess I figured that it would be better if he didn't have that dropped on him too."

"It might have provided him a reason for why I was in your flat."

She was silent for a moment. "You're right. I should have told him. I will in the morning."

Hermione looked down at Draco again. She loved his eyes; they were her favourite part about him. With so many, they were cold, calculating and guarded. Not with her. When he was unguarded with her – which was most of the time now – his steely eyes turned soft, the grey lightening to almost blue, and she saw all of his emotions as clearly as a Gryffindors.

"Is that what we are Draco? Friends?" She leaned her face right over his, her unruly brown hair tickling his face and neck.

He swallowed; he was unsure what she wanted his answer to be. He knew what he wanted his answer to be. _More, Hermione, we're more_. He still couldn't figure out what she wanted. Not since that fated day a month ago (she was teaching him how to cook since she couldn't let him starve after he had finally, after months of persuasion, let his House-elf free) when he realized how much Hermione truly meant to him.

Truthfully, she was his best friend. He still had contact with many Slytherins but he held no one as close as Hermione. He would take whatever he could from her. Being only friends would kill him eventually, but for now, he was content as her best friend.

"The bestest."

Was that disappointment in her eyes?

He retraced his steps, "I mean – actually I was lying before – you see – we are not friends. At all."

Hurt flashed in her eyes and she would have jerked her face away from his had he not slipped his hands into her tangled mess of hair and held her in place.

"I was actually wondering if you would want to be," He paused for dramatic effect and leaned closer. She held her breath, "friends with benefits?"

Had Hermione not seen the teasing glint in his eyes, she might have slapped him. "You prat! You know, most people would just call that being a couple."

"Alright, alright. You win." He smirked up at her and proudly declared, "_Best_ friends with benefits!"

"You prat! You just can't admit that – "

She couldn't finish what she was going to say though, because he silenced her by pressing his mouth against hers. It was a little bit awkward since his head was on her lap and he had to twist to kiss her full on the mouth. It was everything Hermione had hoped for a first kiss with him – slow and sweet and special.

They pulled away to find each other wearing matching wide smiles.

Draco paused for a moment, feigning contemplation, and then he smirked at her. "I guess I can do this 'couple' thing if it is so important to you."

…

**Thank you for reading!**


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